Some months back, I was given a Thai amulet as a gift from my father (I *think* it's from Thailand). He'd bought it at an auction. Here's the thing: I can't read Thai (or is it Lao or...?), and I know next to nothing about these items. Any information at all will be greatly appreciated!

This looks like a Luang Por Tuad/Thuad/Thuat amulet. It's associated with attracting & obtaining wealth and protection. And the language script is Thai. See links: 1234

Bhikkhus, if you develop and make much this one thing, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction. What is it? It is recollecting the Enlightened One. If this single thing is recollected and made much, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction.Anguttara-Nikaya: Ekanipata: Ekadhammapali: PañhamavaggaVSMVMMWBBTBHTWTBTMy Page

Thank you Mike. I was told that the Khmer owes and has a lot of influence from/on Thai, Lao, Vietnamese and Cham but since I am no linguist so

Bhikkhus, if you develop and make much this one thing, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction. What is it? It is recollecting the Enlightened One. If this single thing is recollected and made much, it invariably leads to weariness, cessation, appeasement, realization and extinction.Anguttara-Nikaya: Ekanipata: Ekadhammapali: PañhamavaggaVSMVMMWBBTBHTWTBTMy Page

There is crossover between Thai/Lao/Khmer but if you are somewhat familiar with Thai script then it's reasonably obvious that many of the letters are different (like you can see that Cryllic (e.g. Russian) script differs from Roman (e.g. English).

My impression is that a lot of the "magical" stuff in Thailand dates from Khmer empire days (see some of the links I gave), hence the Khmer script. Theravada Buddhism a later overlay...